


Of Goodbye and Welcome

by nanuk_dain



Series: Of Soldiers and Secrets [19]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-03
Updated: 2011-10-03
Packaged: 2017-10-24 06:43:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/260284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every end is a new beginning. Or: Speirs and Lipton build a new life, and Winters puts the final touch to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Goodbye and Welcome

  
[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0008xqg1)   


 

When Easy Company was disbanded on November 30th 1945, Second Lieutenant Carwood Lipton stood in the first line, back straight, shoulders squared, head held high and eyes directed at Major Winters. With a final salute, Carwood said his goodbye to his time in the military. Next to him, Ron saluted as well.

They were saying goodbye together.

***

When they left the train at Huntington Main Station about twenty days later, Carwood was surprised to see not only his brother in the crowd, but his mother too. He hadn't expected her to make the straining journey to the station in her wheelchair, hadn't expected her to voluntarily enter the crowded platform. He knew how much she hated to be in the middle of the station, knew how much it exhausted her to be around so many people. Somehow, just her presence made Carwood feel more welcome than any words could have.

His hand grabbed his duffel bag a bit tighter and his gaze found Ron's for a short moment. Carwood smiled at him, telling him with his eyes how happy he was about Ron coming with him, and he knew Ron understood when his lips twitched slightly. Carwood turned back to focus on his brother and his mother waiting close to the entrance to the station, and his smile turned wider when he reached them.

“Carwood.” his mother said, her eyes shining with tears and her smile warm. Carwood had not seen his mother this emotional since the car accident when he was ten. She was usually so strong and controlled. It was her way of dealing with the things that had happened, with his father's death, with her disability. It touched him deeply to know how much it meant to her that he'd survived, that he'd come back. “It's so good to see you.”

“Mother.” Carwood returned the smile and bent down on instinct to embrace her. He was slightly surprised to find her fingers fisting in his jacket when she pulled him close. She let go a moment later when she had regained her composure, but she was still smiling.

“Welcome back, Carwood.” John said with a huge grin and came forward to pull him in a bear hug. For being his younger brother, John was pretty tall, towering him by several inches, and it reminded Carwood of how long he'd been gone. The last time he'd seen John, he'd still been a kid, only a little bit taller than Carwood's shoulder.

“I'm glad to be here.” Carwood replied and returned the embrace before he pulled back. He stepped aside to give his family a better view of Ron. “Mother, John, this is Ronald Speirs. He is... _was_ my Captain.”

“I'm pleased to meet you, Ma'am.” Ron said with a little bow and accepted Mother's outstretched hand. Carwood hid a smirk. Ron could be remarkably polite and charming if he wanted to be. Carwood carefully eyed his mother, trying to guess her impression, and he was surprised that he could tell that she liked Ron. Somehow, it made him feel even better.

“Welcome to Huntington, Mister Speirs.” Mother greeted Ron with a friendly smile. “I have a room prepared for you. Carwood wrote that you're staying with us for now.”

“If that's all right with you, Ma'am.” Ron replied and inclined his head in a little respectful nod. Carwood wondered how he knew so perfectly what to do to wrap Mother around his little finger. “I thank you for your hospitality.”

“As a friend of Carwood's, you're always welcome, Mister Speirs.”

“Where's Emmy?” Carwood asked only to avoid the uncomfortable topic of what he and Ron really were. Better it never came up again, because he didn't like lying and on that topic, it just couldn't be avoided. So he looked around the station as if his little sister would appear out of nowhere, and he was glad he successfully distracted the others.

It was John who answered with a huge grin. “We have guests and somebody had to stay at the boarding house. Expect a fierce welcome when we get there. She was not happy to be left behind.”

Carwood chuckled. “I can imagine that she didn't like it.”

“Come on, let's get back home.” John suggested and began to push his mother's wheelchair towards the exit of the station. “We have a big meal prepared in celebration of your return, brother.”

“You didn't have to...”

“Nonsense.” Mother interrupted before he could even finish the sentence. She held her head high and her gaze was chiding, but there was the hint of a smile on her lips. “We know how to arrange for a proper welcome for you and your friend.”

Ron gave a polite smile but Carwood knew him well enough to know that he was in fact hiding a smirk. “Thank you very much, Ma'am. In my name and in your son's.”

“It seems your friend has better manners than you, Carwood.” Mother said, now definitely teasing him. “I'm glad to know you were with my boy over in Europe, Mister Speirs. I'm sure you were a good influence.”

It took Carwood all of his military ingrained discipline to keep from laughing out aloud and he faked a cough to cover the snort he couldn't suppress entirely. Ron flashed him a quick grin behind John's and Mother's back before he replied, “I did my best, Ma'am.”

When they arrived at the house that Carwood had grown up in, dusk had set in and the lanterns on the porch gave the boarding house a welcoming atmosphere. Carwood stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. It felt as if he hadn't been here in a lifetime. It was still so much like he remembered, yet it felt different.

There was a hand touching the small of his back for a moment, then Ron passed him, following John who was carrying Mother up to the house. Carwood returned Ron's gaze and moved to climb the stairs after him. The entrance hall was warm and brightly lit and opposite of the front door, there was a reception desk that Carwood had never seen before. It must have been installed after he'd left.

“Brother!!” Carwood heard the familiar voice right before he was hit square in the chest by his sister's body. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he heard her beautiful laugh close to his ear when she hugged him close. “You're back!”

He smiled and tightened his arms around her, lifting her off the ground and turning in a circle, laughing with her. He looked over at Ron who had a rare, soft smile on his face while he watched Carwood and his sister. Carwood found himself returning it.

He was finally home and all the people he loved were right there with him.

***

After spending about two months at the boarding house, Carwood bought a little house on the west side of the town, not too far from his mother and his siblings. He'd had an eye on the place ever since their third week in Huntington when he'd come across it by chance, seeing the 'for sale' sign in the tiny garden. He'd pondered about it for another week, then Ron had cornered him and had made him talk about what was on his mind. Ron had listened to a rather long monologue where Carwood had gone through all the pros and cons he could think of. When he'd finished, Ron had declared that they would get an appointment and have a look at the place.

When Carwood had remarked with a sigh that he didn't have the all money it took to buy the house, Ron had just given him a look and had told him that they were in this together, so they would share the costs, even if only one of them could appear in the contract. It had reminded Carwood of how deep Ron's trust in him ran, and he'd felt humbled. He'd pulled Ron close and kissed him, then he'd pulled back and had asked with a serious voice if Ron wanted to move in with him. Ron had just smirked and told him that they'd been sharing either bed, bedroll or foxhole for so long that it wasn't really a question anymore. Carwood could only agree.

They'd lived at the new house for about a month when the mailman brought a little package that was unmistakably army issued. It came from Battalion Headquarters and was addressed to Ron. Carwood placed it on the kitchen counter so Ron would see it once he came back from work. He totally forgot about it until he heard Ron's key in the front door, followed by his jacket on the coat rack and his shoes hitting the floor one after the other. When he entered the living room, Carwood looked up from his books and greeted him.

“Welcome home, Ron.” Carwood smiled and titled his head up to welcome Ron's gentle press of lips on his. “Oh, there's a package for you in the kitchen.”

Ron murmured something in acknowledgement and walked over to the kitchen counter. Carwood watched from the table how Ron frowned at the package and then slit it open with his pocketknife. He pulled out a letter and scanned it, then he reached for something inside the package that Carwood couldn't see. There was a soft metallic rattling and then Ron went still, staring at whatever it was he held in his hand. He remained motionless for so long that Carwood became worried, so he got up from the table and slowly approached him.

“Ron?” Carwood came to stand beside him, glancing at his face, then at his hands. There were dog tags on his palm, two sets, the chains still gleaming silvery and new. Ron was staring at them, one thumb rubbing gently over the metal surface of one of the tags, then a smile appeared on his lips that was beautiful in its silence.

“A courtesy from Major Winters.” Ron said very quietly, a soft shine his eyes. “He wrote that he guessed we needed new ones.”

He looked up, his eyes finding Carwood's, and Carwood couldn't remember ever having seen so much tenderness in his gaze. “These are yours.”

Ron held out one set and let it slide into Carwood's open palm. Carwood was confused what this was about – they had left the army, after all. Although they had both not been ready to remove their dog tags yet, he couldn't fathom why Winters would send them new ones. Ron's face told him there was more to it, though, so he glanced down and read over one of the the shiny new tags. It was untainted, no bloodstains, no dents, no scratches. The first line was his name, the second his registration number, the year of his tetanus shot and his blood group, just like the tags he wore under his shirt. It was when his eyes reached the third line that he took in a sharp breath.

 _RONALD SPEIRS  
10 W MAIN ST  
HUNTINGTON WV_

The address of their new home.

Carwood let his breath escape with a low sigh that came from somewhere deep inside him. Suddenly he understood Ron's reaction. Winters had issued them dog tags where they were named as each other's next of kin.

It was as close to a wedding band as they could ever get.

“Ron...” Carwood looked up and found Ron watching him with a secret little smile. “You didn't know either, did you?”

Ron just shook his head, as if he didn't trust his voice. Carwood held out his new dog tags to him with a little smile, then he bowed his head. “Would you mind?”

For a moment, Ron seemed to be confused, then he got it and his smile widened. He reached out, took hold of Carwood's old dog tags and lifted the chain over his head. Then he accepted the new ones and almost gently put them around Lipton's neck. Carwood felt goose bumps spread all over his body when the cold metal touched his skin, came to rest against his chest. The tags felt different from his old ones that had gone through hell with him. These ones felt new, yet as if they'd always been a part of him. He knew he would never take them off, and for that he didn't need any army regulation ordering him.

When he looked up, Ron was holding out his own new tags, and Carwood accepted them without ever breaking their gaze. He did what Ron had done to him, removed his old dog tags and placed the new ones around his neck. It was nothing official, nothing on paper, nothing legal, but to Carwood, it felt as if they had just confirmed what they both had known for so long: Their bond was for life.

Carwood smiled, his left hand resting flat over Ron's new dog tags, pressed against the soft cotton of his shirt. “I don't know how we can ever thank him appropriately.”

Ron smiled, his hand settling over Carwood's. “I think he already knows.”

 

*** The End

 

A/N: As part of this fic, there are two manips. Click on the pics for the full size, and read the dog tags ^___^

 

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0009egp5) * [](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0009dw9w)

**Author's Note:**

> The beautiful banner was made by Megan_Moonlight!


End file.
